Securing messages transmitted to and from communication devices such as laptop computers, servers, mobile telephones, and personal digital assistants helps ensure that sensitive information contained in the message is communicated only to an authorized party. Encryption protocols are used to protect the message with a public and/or private key. Once encrypted, only the communication devices having the corresponding keys can decrypt the message.
There are a variety of encryption processes and techniques available to protect information transmitted electronically. However, when the communication channel is via email, the existing mechanisms for encrypting email can be cumbersome and complex for ordinary, non-technically sophisticated users. Accordingly, and in particular when the email transmission will make use of networks and associated servers and systems that are not protected against interception or “sniffing” by persons not authorized to access the content of the email, there is a need for an easy to use system for converting unprotected email traffic into encrypted email traffic.